The week ahead: Budgets the order of the day and the week as SWFL boards review spending

Summer is budget season in Florida as local governments hold public hearings on their spending plans for the fiscal year that for most will start Oct. 1.

Lee County School Board members will go over the districts proposed $1.576 billion budget at a meeting starting at 10 a.m. Monday at the district headquarters, 2855 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers.

The budget places an increased emphasis on school safety.

That includes school resource officers in all schools, single point of entry at all schools, required active shooter training for all school employees and a chemical cleanout campaign. There is a $50 million grant for school hardening in the budget.

Another area slated for more attention is the social and emotional health of students. That translates into more school counselors, psychologists and social workers.

In all, the budget requests 42 new positions.

Marco Island

At 9 a.m. Monday the Marco Island City Council will conduct a budget workshop to go over the city’s $21 million spending plan, which is about a 3 percent increase over last year’s.

Later, at 5:30 p.m. Monday, the council will be asked to approve the millage rate for the coming year as part of a regular business meeting.

The proposed rate, 1.8057 mills, is unchanged from the current rate.

The rate means that for every $100,000 of taxable value, the property owner pays $180.57 in taxes.

Residents in the Hideaway Special Taxing District will pay an additional 1 mill, according to budget documents.

Also on the afternoon agenda is the creation of a volunteer committee to advise the council on issues regarding waterways. Water quality has emerged as a top issue on Marco Island. The seven-member committee would, among other things, analyze the development of programs to improve and maintain waterways and review the frequency and timing of water quality monitoring.

Both Marco meetings will take place at City Hall, 51 Bald Eagle Drive.

Bonita Springs

The Bonita Springs City Council's latest budget hearing is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 9101 Bonita Beach Road.

The council will consider a $44 million budget, which would be 34 percent more than the previous year’s budget.

Most of the increase would go to capital improvement projects in the city, and the largest portion of that would be spent on stormwater management systems. Bonita Springs has a history of flooding during the rainy season.

According to budget documents, the Spring Creek/Bonita Springs Golf Course flood improvement project would be paid for with the help of a $7.4 million local mitigation strategy grant.

Increased revenue from rising property values would account for most of the rest of the increased money in the budget.